Employee Recognition Principles Can Create an Upbeat Work Culture in Startups

No matter what we do in life, we all love to be recognized for our achievements. Indeed, feeling appreciated serves a fundamental need. In an office environment, acknowledgment for a job well done is especially important as it boosts morale and acts as a direct incentive for increased motivation and productivity.  Businesses that have put employee recognition programs into place have exhibited a 20% increase in company results and 50% higher levels of productivity from their workers. It has also been shown to motivate relatively poor performers to catch up with the rest of the office team.

Begin Immediately

It’s best to introduce employee recognition programs in startup companies right off the bat so employees can immediately internalize a feeling of worthiness and value and they are willing to hang in there until the company takes off properly. Acknowledging workers for their good endeavors sends an extremely powerful message to the recipient and the rest of the work group. It also filters down through various message channels making it a powerful communication tool.

Employee Recognition Ideas

Here is a selection of popular fun ways to heap recognition on individuals or groups in the workplace. They should be adapted to the company and the type of employees working there as well as other variables that come into play. Be creative and stay flexible. And always give recognition in a timely fashion. Waiting too long depletes the importance of the worker’s contribution and the acknowledgement loses its value.

• Just say, “thank you” or “great job.” Praising people may seem like a simple gesture but it is highly effective and can be more important to some employees that receiving a prize or a monetary bonus. Praise can be given publically or in a more personal manner using written or electronic means. Being recognized publicly, however, magnifies its impact and offers other members of the team an opportunity to join in the recognition.
• Celebrate success in the office by holding an Employee Appreciation Day by organizing small company-funded events like picnics, or small office parties.
• Offer quarterly and annual bonuses to individuals and groups that have exceeded their required quota or that have shown exceptional productivity.
• Introduce a Peer-to Peer Recognition Program whereby managers as well as other team members are empowered to recognize and reward the contributions of their co-workers. Remember the gold stars we were given in school as children when we did something worthwhile? Some companies use a similar method with their employees, offering tangible items as prizes for the most stars.
• Make up special certificates of appreciation for specific accomplishments with a worker’s name and frame them.
• Recognize group efforts by taking everyone out on a day’s outing to a special museum exhibition or to the movies; spend the day in a local spa that offers a wide range of health treatments; order in sushi or pizza for lunch; offer to start the work week at 10:00 instead of 9:00 on Monday morning; bring in a professional sketch artist that can make a caricature of each team member.

The key to valuable employee appreciation is that the recognition is given sincerely and frequently; the techniques used are highly visible, meet the expectations of the company team and are in response to real efforts

At the end of the day, the cost of recognition efforts is really quite trivial but the benefits are great and its implementation can mean the difference between a company’s success and failure. In a recent survey, when company managers were asked what more they could do to improve employment commitment, 58% of respondents replied “give recognition.” Go for it.